California surfer's GoPro catches great white shark inside wave

A California surfer's GoPro camera captures the moment a shark appears in a wave only a few feet away. Screenshot: David G Woodward/YouTube

May 7 (UPI) -- A camera mounted to a solo surfer's board as he rode the waves in southern California captured his shockingly close encounter with a great white shark.

David G. Woodward posted a video to YouTube showing a portion of his encounter when he was surfing alone at Bluffs Campground in San Onofre State Park, near San Clemente.

A text scroll at the start of the video explains Woodward was testing out his GoPro camera and mounted it to the front of his board.

"All of a sudden a great white shark appeared in the next wave," Woodward wrote. "He was about 10 feet away swimming from left to right in front of me."

Woodward said he had encountered sharks on four previous occasions while surfing in the same area during the past two years, so he wasn't "too concerned" about the predator's presence.

"Until he turned abruptly in my direction. At that point, I spun my board to get out of there," he wrote.

"I didn't see him again until I checked my GoPro footage."

The footage shows the shark appear in a wave behind Woodward, only feet away, as he paddles toward shore.

"That's the closest I've ever been to a shark in the water," Woodward says after getting out of the water at the end of the video.

Woodward wrote in a comment that he doesn't believe the shark had any ill intent.

"The juveniles aren't typically a threat to us. This one seemed a bit more curious than most (which was a little disconcerting); but if he had meant me harm, he had ample opportunity. Instead, he went about his merry way," he wrote.